


arcade boys

by andnowforyaya



Series: B.A.P Bingo Challenge Fills [2]
Category: B.A.P, K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Gamers, Gen, M/M, Rival Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-06-24
Packaged: 2018-04-05 21:55:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4196301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andnowforyaya/pseuds/andnowforyaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rivals, Himchan likes to call it. You can’t get anywhere in life without a proper rival dogging your steps, and for Himchan, Youngjae is just that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	arcade boys

**Author's Note:**

> this is much nonsense sorry

Himchan approaches the vintage Galaga machine in the back corner of the old arcade he’s been going to since elementary school and pulls on the straps of his bookbag, straightening his back as he nears to brace himself before he examines the Hall of Fame scores that trickle across the old screen. Those handles are much loved, those buttons, too; he thinks his fingers have worn grooves into the box holding the game, and he remembers that one time the arcade owner chased him away from premises when he was discovered carving the name of his then-crush into the side panel of the game for luck in middle school.

Over the past few years, a kid named Youngjae from a neighboring school has been frequenting the arcade, and sometimes Himchan sees him and sometimes not, but always his name is there, chasing Himchan’s at the top of the Hall of Fame and sometimes even replacing it: _yjayo_. Over time, they inevitably ran into each other at the game, which led to actual conversations, which led to a strange competitive friendship that neither of them would actually call a friendship.

 _Rivals,_ Himchan likes to call it. You can’t get anywhere in life without a proper rival dogging your steps, and for Himchan, Youngjae is just that.

Yesterday marked the fifth day in a row that Himchan approached the game to find Youngjae’s name over his, the high score proudly displayed in neon yellow. Today he wonders if he’ll find Youngjae’s name again -- Himchan really wonders how he does it. Youngjae must skip the last period of the school day regularly to come to the arcade to beat Himchan’s high score before leaving! How else would he manage it?

Around him, other students are inserting coins into machines and shouting over wins and losses, and the arcade is filled with the noise of laughter, chatter, and points accumulating. He reaches his beloved Galaga machine quickly, scanning the names and high scores there, his eyes crossing when he doesn’t understand what he’s seeing.

There, third from the top, is _yjayo_ ; above Youngjae is _hchan_ , Himchan’s chosen display name. But there, at the coveted first spot, is a totally new name that he’s never seen before: _hyuni_.

.

<chat sent>hchan:  
woah woah woah did you see?

<chat received from>yjayo:  
see what? hyung we talked about specificity

<chat sent>hchan:  
the new name! galaga!

<chat received from>yjayo:  
oh you mean how i totally beat your high score haha  
i mean i totally did  
hyung?

<chat sent>hchan:  
no there was a name above ours! someone is stealing our game!!! :<  
do you know anyone who goes by ‘hyuni’??

<chat received from>yjayo:  
no…  
i’ll ask around tho

<chat received from>yjayo:  
was is like a big point difference or a small point difference?  
hyung?  
hello???????

.

No one goes by the handle ‘hyuni,’ at least not in the circles Himchan and Youngjae frequent physically and electronically, and no one seems to have any leads, either. A quick search of ‘hyuni’ on the internet pulls up random searches ranging from cars to blocked material that’s probably porn that neither of them have time to sift through. More days pass and Himchan keeps going back to the arcade, and he keeps finding his name there in second or third, and there at the top like a brand in glaring yellow lies _hyuni_.

<chat received from>yjayo:  
you know what we have to do right?

<chat sent>hchan:  
what

<chat received from>yjayo:  
stake-out!! ^^ i’ll bring snacks~

<chat sent>hchan:  
you’re crazy

<chat received from>yjayo:  
meet me behind the claw machine in half an hour!!

Himchan checks his phone and then checks it again. It’s been half an hour and Youngjae is nowhere to be seen. He wonders if he’s been stood up. He’s glad that it’s the weekend at least, so he can’t feel guilty about wasting time when he should be studying. He usually gives himself Saturday as a reward day, where he doesn’t have to think about the college entrance exams that are around the corner for him (he still thinks about them, though).

“Hyung!” he hears just then. Himchan turns to the sound of Youngjae’s voice, nearly jumping out of his skin when he sees that Youngjae is right behind him, smarmy grin on his face and a bag of honey chips in on hand. “Sorry I’m a little late. The usual conveni didn’t have my chips, so I had to go to another one…Do you want to share?”

Himchan shakes his head. “While you were late, I was busy keeping tabs on this guy at the Galaga machine. He’s been there a while.”

“Aw, not even a ‘hello’ from you.” Youngjae frowns. He opens the bag of honey chips and it seems incredibly loud to Himchan’s ears.

Himchan glares, and then he pulls them both down to squat beneath the window of the claw machine, out of sight. “You’re so loud!”

“Am not, just hungry, Grumpy. You think this is our guy?”

“I don’t know,” Himchan says, peeking over the window. “Could be.”

Just then, the guy at the machine curses colorfully, and then he kicks the machine twice out of anger, and both Himchan and Youngjae flinch at his treatment of their baby. The stranger stalks away to another game, inserting a few coins to start.

“That can’t be him,” Youngjae says. “He’s a migrator. He’s just going from game to game. I think he’s actually trying to win prizes -- you see those charms on his phone? He’s been collecting.”

Himchan turns to stare at Youngjae in disbelief as he crunches potato chips between his teeth.

“What?” Youngjae asks, raising his eyebrows. “I’m good at reading people.”

“You’re breathing on my neck,” Himchan tells him, and Youngjae gives him a light shove, chuckling.

When Himchan’s knees begin to cramp, the staff person at the arcade discovers them being suspicious behind the claw machine and tell them to play or to get lost. Youngjae reasons that a friendly racing game between the two of them will give them an angle to keep an eye on the Galaga machine, so they get into their fake racecar seats and play.

After a couple of rounds, it’s less racing and more scenic driving.

“So how’s school going?” Youngjae asks, glancing over.

“It’s okay, I guess,” Himchan says. “It is what it is.”

“Oh, um. That’s cool.” Youngjae overtakes Himchan on the road, but Himchan is quick to catch up. “I guess you’re going to college next year, though.”

“Yeah. My mom really wants me to go to one of the SKY schools, but I don’t think I’ll be able to test in. Besides, I want to study music.”

“I see. There’s still a chance though. And I’m sure they have good music programs...Hey, hyung--”

“There, this guy, this guy. Look, look, look!” Himchan hisses out of the corner of his mouth, crashing into a tree and effectively ending his run in the game.

A boy is approaching the game, the hood of his sweater over his head and his hands hiding in his sleeves. Himchan thinks he can see a flash of dyed pink hair, which means he’s either a delinquent or...something else. Youngjae wins the race, and then they sit there, pretending to continue their game, but really just watching.

And watching.

And watching.

The boy has small, sloped shoulders and a quick touch. He plays the game with utter calm, but his fingers are flying. After a while, curiosity overtakes Himchan, and he gets up.

“What are you doing?” Youngjae asks. “Stake-outs don’t involve actual arrests. Unless they do. Do they?”

“I just want to see,” Himchan says.

He goes, walking quietly, peeking over the boy’s left shoulder. After a moment, Youngjae joins him, peeking over his right.

Again, they watch. The boy maneuvers his little spacecraft, deftly avoiding bombs and firing into clusters like it’s an art form. Slowly, Himchan watches him overtake his previous high score, and gasps.

This sparks a chain reaction: Youngjae gasps as well, and the noise surprises the boy and makes him jump. His spaceship blows up. His new high score trails across the screen and he slowly puts in the letters of his handle.

_h_

_y_

_u_

_n_

_i_

“Sorry,” he says, stepping back from the game, giving Youngjae and Himchan a view of his face. Himchan feels heat crawl into his cheeks taking in the boy’s huge eyes and plump lips and the way he’s chewing on them. “Did you want to play? Sorry -- I took a while.” He reaches up to scratch the back of his head, and his sleeve falls, revealing a slip of wrist and the medicinal patch there.

“It’s fine,” Himchan and Youngjae both say at the same time. Himchan glares at Youngjae. Youngjae, surprised, glares right back.

“Oh,” the boy says, smiling a little. Himchan’s heart melts. “Well, I’m done anyway, I guess.”

Youngjae holds out his hand and announces, “I’m yjayo. You’ve been beating my high score for the past week! Real name’s Youngjae. What about you?”

The boy shakes Youngjae’s hand slowly, like he’s not sure why he’s doing it. “I’m Daehyun.”

“Kim Himchan,” Himchan says, shaking Daehyun’s other hand. “Or hchan.”

Daehyun’s eyes widen. “It’s, uh, it’s nice to meet you,” he says, his voice breaking a little at the end.

Youngjae still has not let go of Daehyun’s hand. Himchan holds on, too, still shaking it. “Stop being weird,” Youngjae says to him.

“You stop first,” Himchan says.

Like a silent signal passes between them, they both drop Daehyun’s hands at the same time.

“Well,” Daehyun says, “I should go. My mom will be worried--”

He bolts.

Himchan stares at the empty space he leaves behind, and frowns when Youngjae steps into it.

“So…” Youngjae says, “he was really cute.”

Himchan frowns harder. “Yeah, he was.”

.


End file.
